


Legacy and Remembrances

by hiswings



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-25 23:43:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9852281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiswings/pseuds/hiswings
Summary: What John Laurens, Eliza Schuyler, Peggy Schuyler, Angelica Schuyler, and Aaron Burr remember most about Alexander Hamilton.Or the Modern AU where life happens and Alexander Hamilton deals with it, narrated by those who knew him best.





	1. John

**Author's Note:**

> Essentially, boiled down to the basics, this is a Modern AU. Alex is not the main character, he is simply the subject. Each chapter has a different narrator that reveals details about their own life, as well as Alex's and his legacy.

What John Laurens remembered most about Alexander Hamilton were his hands.

They were in college. They were best friends. John had known Alex as long and as well as one could.

He remembered his hands. He remembered the warmth they produced, and the safety they ensured. When Alex put his hand on the small of John's back, he had no fears, no worries. When Alex put his hand on John's cheek, he melted.

And then his hands were in John's hair, pulling gently. His breath was on John's breath. His heart was on John's heart. They were but one pair of lungs, gasping in unison. They were but one heartbeat, pounding to the beat of the silent drums.

They knew each other well. They had met in the library at school. Soon enough, they were best friends. Best friends meant a little something extra, as well. He was the most intriguing person John had ever met. John was intrigued. Alex was kind, brilliant, self-absorbed, strong, perseverant. He was a fighter.

And when John's heart was on Alex's heart, and they were but one pair of lungs and but one heartbeat, he could feel the fire in Alex's chest. That was all he needed.

Alex took all the love that John could give. John loved Alex with everything he had, and then some.

But John was not the only one. And he knew. He was settling for only a piece of Alex, only a taste, but it was alright. He was eternally grateful to get any of him at all.

That is how John tried to live each day. He knew Alex was working too hard, too fast, and eventually, he would burn up. John could not stand to lose Alex. He meant everything to John.

Alex's hand slid down John's back one night while they were at a bar with Lafayette and Hercules, two of their closest friends. Alex passed John on the way to the bathroom and, sure, maybe his hand had slipped. Maybe he just absentmindedly placed his hand gently on John's back. But John tried to hide his blush and excused himself, following Alex to the bathroom.

He pushed open the door and immediately Alex's hands were on him again. This was just what John had needed. It was not out of the ordinary, but it was not consistent.

John believed he and Alex were soulmates.

Alex's hands were all that John craved as he heard Alex's voice on the phone one night.

He had eloped with his girlfriend.

They were married, and John was forgotten, and left in the past.

His girlfriend had never been a problem in the past, but dating and marriage were very different.

John was the first person, more or less, that Alex told about the marriage. He was still Alex's best friend. But he knew things were different.

"I'm so happy for you, Alex. She's a lovely girl. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

He set the phone down and the tears streamed down his cheeks as he crumpled to the floor.

All he could think about were Alex's hands. He wanted to feel that warmth again. He wanted to feel that fire in Alex's chest.

Alex was a fighter. John was driven to madness after the marriage. He had not seen Alex in days. He had not spoken to him at all since the phone call that delivered the heartbreaking news.

So John ended up in a fight on the streets. He threw some punches, and then he dodged some. He eventually could not dodge all of the blows. Then a knife came out.

John lay on the street, gasping for breath. He clutched his throat, and when he lifted his hand he recognized the red and exhaled. He knew this was the end.

He thought of Alex's hands as he took his final breath. He remembered Alex's hands on his back and against his cheeks and in his hair and in other places. He inhaled sharply for the last time, craving the warmth. And then he let it out, and he never touched Alex's hands again.


	2. Eliza

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Eliza Schuyler remembers most about Alexander Hamilton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just…you'll see.
> 
> I didn't have any idea where I was going with this until I was done. Oops?

What Eliza Schuyler remembered most about Alexander Hamilton were his lips.

Eliza Schuyler met Alex at a party. They hit it off immediately when her older sister Angelica introduced the two.

She first noticed his lips because of how he bit them when he was thinking.

When he first spoke to her, his voice was mesmerizing. When he said her last name, she was entranced.

"Elizabeth Schuyler. It's a pleasure to meet you," she had introduced herself. She was raised to behave properly amongst new acquaintances.

"Schuyler?" He had asked.

"My sister," Angelica answered proudly.

Eliza and Alex had hit it off immediately, he in his sophomore year and she in her freshman year of college.

He was brilliant, and she found herself constantly longing to converse with him.

And so she remembered his lips. Speaking, biting, kissing, whatever the case may have been.

He never stopped speaking. He had so much to say. The only way she could ever get him to shut up was to force him to. So they kissed. Or they went further. Eliza cherished every moment of it. She was terrified of the day he would get bored of the kissing or the going further and lose interest in her. She was not always capable of catching up with him. He was so intellectually advanced, and he was always at least one step ahead, usually many.

She wished that she could have his attention in more ways than just sexually. Yes, he loved her, but how far did that go? When she was old and frail, would he remain by her side. When she was no longer able to ever catch up to him, where would he be? When she was lost, would be try to help her?

Would he still care?

She didn't feel she was good enough for him. She had her doubts. She would never admit it to him, but boy, did she have her doubts.

So she cherished the times that he did pay attention to her. She cherished the times that he was kissing her. She cherished the times that he was talking to her. Who knew how much time she would have left?

When they eloped, she was ecstatic. He had finally committed to her. She had caught up to him.

She wore a spaghetti-strapped, low-cut, casual white dress that ended above her knee, strappy white heels, and her hair tied into a low bun with a strand pulled out on each side to frame her face. Alexander was in a simple black suit without a tie. It was easy.

He had simply suggested one day, "Let's get married."

She looked up from the book she was reading and said, "Okay."

And they did. They changed and they left.

They got married. It was suddenly all so real, it was not a game anymore. They were together. They were in love.

They kissed. They went to a hotel and had sex. They got waffles from room service and then had sex again. She had all of Alex's attention.

The next night, he called his friends and she called hers. They were happy.

She had Alex's lips all to herself. He spoke to her and about her. She craved only his attention and his lips.

She savored every second.

Alex and Eliza became closer than before. They spent more time together. Not all that much, considering he still worked almost constantly, but he spent more time with her than anyone else. She was grateful for the effort that he was making. She should have known it was too good to last.

A few weeks into their marriage, Eliza and Alex were in the apartment they had recently moved into together. Her phone started ringing. Alex was working, and Eliza answered.

"This is the Schuyler-Hamilton residence. Lady of the house speaking," Eliza said.

"Eliza?" A familiar voice asked.

"Lafayette," she greeted. "How have you been?"

"Are you sitting down?" That was the only reply. She knew what would happen next. She didn't know who, but she what. She cautiously sat down on a nearby couch.

"Just tell me," she said slowly, trying to remain collected. She thought she heard sniffling on the other end for just a moment, although she was unsure.

"It's John. He's dead," Lafayette said. Eliza's stomach lurched forward. She was shocked. It couldn't be true, could it? John? Kind, sweet, loyal John?

"No," was all Eliza responded. "No. That can't be true."

"Eliza, I'm afraid it is. I'm so sorry for telling you this way. I'm not close so I couldn't come in person. Can you tell Alexander for me?" Lafayette pleaded.

"I can't believe it," she said quietly.

"Eliza?" Lafayette asked.

"Yes?" She answered.

"Can you tell Alexander for me?"

"I will. Thank you for calling, Lafayette," she said. She then hung up.

In retrospect, she could not think of how she did it. How she told Alex without crumbling to pieces. How she controlled herself and her emotions for long enough to break the news. But she did.

"Alex?" She called into the next room as she walked in slowly. He was sitting at his desk, typing furiously on his computer.

"Yes?" He responded without looking up or stopping typing.

"Alex, I'm going to need you to stop typing for a minute," she said seriously.

"Just a minute," he said. She let him finish. He typed for a few more seconds and then made a big show of moving his computer to the side, cracking a grin. Eliza did not smile back.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I just received a phone call," she said.

"From who?" He asked.

"Lafayette," she answered.

"What did he want?" Alex asked, curiously.

"It's…" Eliza broke off. She took a deep breath. "It's John."

"What about him?" Alex asked, fear in his eyes. She knew his mind was already traveling faster than the speed of light, reaching all kinds of answers to his own question. She looked down.

"I'm so sorry," she said. She could not bring herself to look at him in the eyes.

"No, I need you to tell me," Alex said. She heard in his voice that he was going to start crying any moment. "I need you to tell me, Eliza. You can't do that. You can't just not finish."

"John is dead," she said. "He's dead. I don't know how or where or why or when but he's gone. I'm so sorry, Alex." She expected him to burst or crumble or fall. But he didn't. He simply stayed quiet for a minute, before standing up and announcing, "I've got so much work to do."

He shut himself inside his office for days.

She had only gotten a glimpse of him before he disappeared. She noticed one thing: his lips were trembling.

She could never get that image out of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments greatly appreciated. Constructive criticism and suggestions are great! Pretty short chapter, I know.
> 
> Next Chapter: Peggy


	3. Angelica

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Angelica Schuyler remembers most about Alexander Hamilton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said this chapter was going to be Peggy, but I decide with the timeline, Angelica just had to come now in order to tell the story properly. Peggy WILL come eventually, I promise.

What Angelica Schuyler remembered most about Alexander Hamilton were his eyes.

The first time she met him, he was staring at her with those warm, brown eyes of his that she felt she could melt into if she looked long enough.

Some may call it love at first sight. Others may call them soulmates.

Angelica was smarter than that.

She spotted him, staring at her. Her sister Eliza was watching him, as well.

"He's pretty cute," Eliza observed, winking at her sister. Angelica nodded, and watched him turn a corner. She stood up from the bar where she was sitting.

Angelica followed him and tapped his shoulder. He turned around and grinned at the sight of her.

"I'm Angelica Schuyler," she said. "Dance with me." She did not wait for his response, she simply grabbed his arm and pulled him to the floor.

"Angelica Schuyler?" He repeated after a minute. She nodded.

"And you are?" She asked.

"Alexander Hamilton," he answered.

"We've not met," she stated.

"That's unfortunate, isn't it? You strike me as a woman who has never been satisfied," he said, cocky. She spun around.

"Don't push it," she laughed. She waited for an answer, but he remained silent. "You have nice eyes," she observed.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked. She smiled and nodded. She noticed Eliza on the other end of the bar, watching them.

Watching him.

Everything became clear in Angelica's mind in that moment.

"You know, I could change your life," she said.

"Really?" He asked, his cheeks turning the slightest bit pink.

"Come with me," she said, taking his hand in hers. She walked to Eliza and pushed Alex toward her.

"Elizabeth Schuyler. It's a pleasure to meet you," Eliza said, shaking his hand.

"Schuyler?" He asked.

"My sister," Angelica responded, gluing a smile on her face. "You two chat. I have business to attend to."

She left them. She kept a close eye on Alex and Eliza, laughing and smiling. His eyes were gleaming.

Was it a mistake?

She sometimes asked herself this question, when she was in a low place.

What could have been?

She could imagine herself alongside Alex as he moved forward in his life and career. They were in the same grade. She would have always been on his level. She was smart, she knew that. Maybe even smarter than him. They could have eloped, or had a real wedding. Maybe even a child. She could have had his children. She could see herself driving home with him and picking up their children, a boy and a girl, from daycare. Eating dinner together. Engaging in intelligent conversation about current events or work. Retiring to the same bed each evening. Staring into his magnificent eyes before falling asleep. They would have been extraordinary together.

Instead, they were ordinary apart.

What could have been did not matter, she decided. It did not matter that his eyes would not be the last thing she saw before she fell asleep and the first thing she saw when she woke up in the morning.

The only place they ended up together was in her dreams. She may not be able to fall asleep with him or wake up with him, but she got to spend the night at his side.

She was unsatisfied.

But it had to be enough.

They kept in contact, of course. They had to. They were family once he and Eliza eloped.

The night she received the call from Eliza, she was happy. She was truly happy for her sister. But once she hung up the phone, she wept.

Then she reapplied her makeup, called up her boyfriend, and had sex.

And if she dimmed the lights and closed her eyes and imagined it was Alex touching her, rather than him, nobody needed to know.

They called each other often. They would talk for hours. Sometimes Eliza would come up in the conversation, and other times she would not.

Angelica was not stupid. She knew that he would not leave Eliza for her, nor did she want him to.

She was happy with what she got. She cherished the time she got with him. That was love to her.

She loved both Eliza and Alex, and sometimes love means sacrifice.

If she could have gone back and changed how she approached the situation, would she?

She would have given anything to see Alex's eyes staring at her again like he did the first time they met at that party. Well, almost anything. She would not trade Eliza's happiness for her own life, however.

If she had to suffer for her sister to be happy, she would.

If she had to look into Alex's warm, safe eyes and pretend she could not imagine a future in them, then that was how things had to be.

So she lay in bed next to a body that did not make her feel warm or safe, and she was numb.

It was 2:27am.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated, and I look at all of it. Constructive criticism and suggestions are also great. If you want a certain character to share their story or recur, comment and I'll try to fit it in.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. Feedback is super important to feel free to tell me what you think!
> 
> I know this is not great and I just got the idea all of a sudden and did not really have a plan for what I was writing and I did not have a plan for later chapters until I was finished. I just started typing and did not stop until I felt the chapter was over. Apologies if this is not well-written or well-thought out, because this chapter really was not.
> 
> NEXT CHAPTER: Eliza


End file.
